A waterfall in the woods
Doesn't that just sound nice?
I love waterfalls - but that's not exactly a revelation. I shoot them when I come across them, which isn't too often, considering I live in Texas. It's not like we are famous for that sort of thing. I'm not sure what we're famous for, other than barbeque. But that stuff IS good.
Anyways, we all love waterfalls. I think it's a combination of the motion and the lovely sound, but I'm no psychoanalyst...I just take pictures. I personally also enjoy the effort that usually comes with getting to them. Often it requires a hike, which is always good for the mind and body. Then when you get there, in addition to the pleasing beauty, you get that pleasing sound and sight.
So the family took a trip recently up to Red River, NM which is a quiet little mountain town. It's beautiful there. I asked a local about any "awesome waterfalls" that he knew of (this was a hiking and fishing guide, mind you), and he said there really weren't any. Hmmm.
One afternoon we hiked up to Middle Fork Lake, which is about 2 hours one way (it's a gain of about 2,000 feet in elevation, ending at nearly 11,000 feet up). On the trail during the hike, there is a creek that the trail sort of follows the whole way. You can't always see it or hear it, but many times you can (and you cross it a few times too).
Whenever it was near enough to hear or see, I kept heading off into the woods to get a closer look. I knew there had to be some nice waterfalls. There's no way a creek comes all the way down a mountain without SOME waterfalls...even if they're not big.
So, this is what I found on one of my off-trail explorations. It's not large, but I sure thought it was pretty. These are both single exposures shot at a tight aperture (around f/22 if I recall) and I also used my ProMaster Variable ND filter. Those two in combination allowed me to drag the shutter for a bit (it was mid-day and thus pretty bright out) and get that nice silky water effect that we all love. Or at least I love it. I hope you do!
